1942 – Buddy DeSylva, Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs have a lunch meeting at Lucey's Restaurant at 5444 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. It's there that Mercer and Wallichs ask DeSylva (at the time head of production for Paramount Pictures) if Paramount would put up the money to start a West Coast based label or allow them to sell the records in Paramount's theatre lobbies. DeSylva says no, but that he would personally give them the start up money, and writes a check for $15,000. Thus Liberty Records is born. DeSylva would later paint a picture of the meeting. After registering the company with the state of California, they soon would find that they couldn't secure the rights to the name Liberty Records for nationwide use. Later, over dinner at Chasen's restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, Mercer's wife, Ginger, would suggest the name Capitol Records.
1946 - Vocalist Jerry Colonna, with Frank De Vol conducting the orchestra (lineup also unlsted), record the titles "Casey (The Pride Of Them All" from the Walt Disney Production "Make Mine Music" with additional vocals by The Dinning Sisters (Lou, Jean, and Ginger Dinning) and "Josephine Please No Lean On The Bell" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 249).
70 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Smilin' Ed McConnell and His Buster Brown Gang (lineup unlisted) record the tracks "The Teacher Song" and "I'm A Kitty Katty Wampus Superdoo" at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the tracks together as a single (Capitol 447 and later reissue it as 7-27001).
70 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Billy Butterfield will record 22 unlisted tracks for the Capitol Records Transcription Service in Los Angeles, California. The will be released on transcription discs ET 2003/25. There is no listing that any of these tracks have been released commercially.
1956 - Les Baxter conducts his own arrangements to his orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record the titles "Deep Night", "Poinciana (Song Of The Tree)", "Out Of This World", and "Adios" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Baxter's album "Caribbean Moonlight" (T 733).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Coleman Hawkins (on tenor saxophone) with Glenn Osser conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted but included woodwinds, strings, and; rhythm sections) records the titles "It Had To Be You", "Autumn Leaves", "I'm Yours", and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on Hawkins' album "Gilded Hawk" (T 819).
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Ralph Carmichael will conduct his own arrangements to his orchestra (James McGee and Dick Perissi on French horns, Francis "Joe" Howard, Tom Shepard, and Lloyd Ulyate on trombone, George Roberts on bass trombone, Gene Cipriano, Justin Gordon, Paul Horn, and Harry Klee on reeds, Bobby Hammack on piano, Bobby Gibbons on guitar, Pat Senatore on bass, Irving Cottler on drums, Dale Anderson on percussion, and a string section that includes Israel Baker, Emil Briano, James Getzoff, Lou Klass, Rickey Marino, Alex Murray, Lou Raderman, Isadore Roman, Ralph Schaefer, Paul Shure, and Joseph Stepansky on violin, Cecil Figelski, Allan Harshman, Virginia Majewski, and Paul Robyn on viola, Margaret Aue, Armand Kaproff, Emmett Sargeant, and William Vandenburg on cello) and an unidentified vocal chorus as they record the title "Because Of You" then, with Nat "King" Cole on vocals the title "Look No Further" and then, without Cole, the title "Blue Tango" between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the first and third tracks on Ralph Carmichael And His Orchestra's album "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (T 1819) and the second track as a single (Capitol F4714) by Nat "King" Cole with "The Right Thing To Say" on the flipside.
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Tommy De Noble (on vocals with unlisted other musicians) records the unissued tracks "Mamachitta" and "First Year Of Love" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records.
1963 - Peggy Lee, with Max Bennett conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Justin Gordon on tenor saxophone and flute, Bob Corwin on piano, John Pisano on guitar, Max Bennett on bass, Stan Levey on drums, and Francisco Aquabella on congas and bongos), records the titles "It's A Big, Wide, Wonderful World", Close Your Eyes", "Cloudy Morning", and "Where Can I Go Without You?" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the songs on Lee's album "Mink Jazz" (T 1850).
1964 - The Beatles arrive on their first visit to the United States shortly after 1:00 p.m. EST, when Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight number 101 lands at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. 3,000 fans greet them. After a press conference at the airport, The Beatles are taken to the Plaza Hotel. On the same day, Baskin-Robbins introduces a flavor of ice cream called "Beatle-Nut".
1964 - During three session held this day at Capitol Records' studios in New York City, New York, members of the off-Broadway cast of "Cabin In The Sky" (Helen Ferguson, Bernard Johnson, Sam Laws, Rosetta Le Noire, Ketty Lester, Tony Middleton, Harold Pierson, and Morton Winston on vocals with Vernon Washington, D'Urville Martin, Albert Popweil, Cleo Quitman, Jeanne Rollins De Ramos, and Joseph Attles on vocals) with Sy Oliver conducting his own arrangements of music by Vernon Duke with lyrics by John Latouche, record the tracks "Do What You Want To Do" (with vocals by Bernard Johns, Harold Pierson, and Morton Winston), "Not So Bad To Be Good" (vocals by Sam Laws), "Honey In The Honeycomb" (vocals by Ketty Lester), and "Do What You Want To Do (reprise) (vocals by Ketty Lester, Harold Pierson and Morton Winston) at the first session, "Love Me Tomorrow" (vocals by Ketty Lester and Tony Middleton), "Living It Up" (vocals by Ketty Lester and Tony Middleton), "Wade In The Water" (vocals by Helen Ferguson and The Cast), "The Man Upstairs" (vocals by Sam Laws), and "Savanna" (vocals by Rosetta Le Noire and The Cast) at the second session, and "Gospel: Great Day" (vocals by The Cast), "Not A Care In The World" (vocals by Ketty Lester and Tony Middleton), "Cabin In The Sky" (vocals by Rosetta Le Noire and Tony Middleton), "Make Way" (vocals by Helen Ferguson and Sam Laws), "Love Turned The Light Out" (vocals by Rosetta Le Noire), "Taking A Chance On Love" (vocals by Rosetta Le Noire), "We'll Live All Over Again" (vocals by Rosetta Le Noire), and "Finale" at the third session. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on the New York Cast album for "Cabin In The Sky" (W 2073).
1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records album "Summer Days" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1966 - Sir Arthur (aka Ian Whitcomb), using arrangements by David Mallett records the tracks "Louie, Louie" and "Walk Right In" in Los Angeles, California with producer Jerry Dennon. Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records, will issue both tracks together as a single by Sir Arthur (Tower 216) and on Whitcomb's album "Sock Me Some Rock" (T 5100).
1967 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "Roll Out The Red Carpet"
1967 - Thelma Houston (on vocals with unlisted musicians) records the tracks "Don't Cry, My Soldier Boy", "Only You Can Stop The Rain", and "Let's Try To Make It (One More Time) in Los Angeles, California with producer Gary Paxton. Capitol Records will issue the first and last track together as a single (Capitol 5882) and, as yet, has not issued the second track.
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Lou Jackson records the as yet unissued track "A Lot On My Mind". Capitol Records will later purchase the master but not release the track.
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Dallas Frazier (on vocals with unlisted musicians) records that tracks "Home In My Hand", "My Woman Up't And Gone", and "Clawhammer Clyde" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on Frazier's album "Tell It Like It Is" (T 2764) and the second and third tracks together as a single (Capitol 5862).
1970 - The Chairmen Of The Board's debut Invictus Records single "Give Me Just A Little More Time" with "Since the Days of Pigtails" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart at #37 and will peak at #3 on March 21, 1970. Invictus, run by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, was distributed by Capitol Records.
45 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Billy May conducts his own arrangements to The Time-Life Orchestra (John Best, Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy, Uan Rasey, and George Werth on trumpet, Joe Howard, Lew McCreary, and Dick Nash on trombone, Les Robinson, Wilbur Schwartz, Justin Gordon, Abe Most, and Plas Johnson on saxophones, Ray Sherman on piano, Jack Marshall on guitar, Morty Corb on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums) as they record the tracks "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea", "Jungle Drums", "Southern Fried" and "Zigeuner" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. All the titles will be issued on Volume 14 of the "Swing Time" series by Time-Life on the album "One More Time - Swing Lives!" (STA 353).
1974 - Buck Owens records the track "On The Cover Of The Music City News" for Capitol Records

40 Years Ago Today In 1977 - The Section (which includes Danny Kortchmar on guitar with David Crosby and James Taylor on vocals) records the track "Snails Trails" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records. There is no mention of any release of this track.
1985 - Matt Monro (born Terence Parsons), singer, EMI and Capitol Records artist, dies at age 52
2001 - Dale Evans (born Lucille Wood Smith but her name was changed to Frances Octavia Smith while she was still an infant), actress, singer, songwriter ("The Bible Tells Me So" and "Happy Trails To You"), widow of Capitol Records artist Roy Rogers (with whom she recorded as part of a duo on the label), and a solo Capitol Records artist, dies in California at age 88
2009 - Blossom Dearie (born Marguerite Blossom Dearie), singer, pianist and Capitol Records artist as part of the vocal group The Blue Reys, who sang with Alvino Rey and his orchestra, a solo artist in 1964, and on the soundtrack of "Multiplication Rock", has died of natural causes at age 82 at her home in Greenwich Village, New York.
2009 - Molly Bee (born Mollie Gene Beachboard), singer, radio and television personality, motion picture actress, and a Capitol Records artist best known for her 1952 hit "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and her duets with Tennessee Ernie Ford, has died of complications of a stroke at Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, California at age 69.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Alan Lancaster, bass player for the band Status Quo, whose 1977 album "Rockin' All Over The World" was distributed by Capitol Records Canada, is born
1963 - Vee-Jay Records releases The Beatles' first single in the United States, "Please Please Me" with "Ask Me Why" (credited to Beattles) on the flip side, after it was rejected by Capitol Records
1999 - Bobby Troup, pianist, songwriter ("Route 66", "The Girl Can't Help It", "The Meaning of the Blues"), record producer, television actor, and second husband of Liberty Records artist Julie London, dies of a heart attack in Sherman Oaks, California at age 80

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1966 - The first issue of Crawdaddy! magazine is published by Paul Williams in New York City, New York

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This blog contains information, that I gather daily, about the history of Capitol Records, related labels, The Capitol Records Tower, and other pop culture events and anniversaries.
Please contact me if you have any corrections, comments and/or facts you'd like to share.
To see some great photos of the opening of The Capitol Tower and to get a quick overview of Capitol's early history check out the archive for April 2006.

THE MELLOWAIRES?

I'm trying to track down who was in this group. They sang backup for Martha Tilton and Johnny Mercer at Capitol's first session on April 6, 1942 and at other sessions up until July 31, 1942, (the day before the recording ban went into effect) when the backed Freddie Slack and His Orchestra, Ella Mae Morse, Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting.Every listing for them just gives the group's name and, so far, none of the curators at the libraries that house the papers of Johnny Mercer, Dave Dexter, Jr., Jo Stafford and Paul Weston's collections, who really went all out to search, have been able to track down the group's roster.The Mellowaires also made two three minute "soundies" in 1942, "Cocktails For Two" with Bob Hughes and "LullabyIn Swing" on their own, copies of which are in the UCLA Film and Television Archives.Any help identifying anyone in this group would be much appreciated.